He Could Surprise You
by backstrokin' babe
Summary: What would happen if Duke didn't show up that night to the Debutante Ball? Would their paths meet again? DukexViola other pairings if it fits . Rated T for language and mild sexual content
1. Chapter 1

**So, basically, I don't own **_**She's the Man**_**, the characters in **_**She's the Man**_** or the actors and actresses who play the characters in **_**She's the Man**_**. So that's, about it. Please tell me if you like it. Also, if you're reading this because you read my other story (the **_**HSM**_** one) I'm sorry I haven't updated that one in a while. I hit a dead end with where the story was going. If you have any fresh ideas about that story, feel free to let me know via review or message. I will gladly start that story up again if I get some new inspiration.**

**-**

"He's not coming," Viola said sadly as she finished touching up Olivia's make-up. She had known this would happen. She had seen the look in his eyes, the look of betrayal and hurt that had marred his h]gorgeous features. "He hates me."

"He could surprise you," Olivia said softly. It was a lie, and they all knew it, but she had to try. Duke and Viola were made for each other. Anyone could see that. They were the Elizabeth and Darcy of the modern world.

"Thanks, but that's not going to happen. You didn't see his face." This was a disaster. It wasn't supposed to be like this. They were supposed to be happy and together, and from the look of things, neither of these things was going to happen. Viola couldn't understand. Before, everything had seemed like it would work itself out. Now, everyone except the two of them was happy. Sebastian's band was gaining world-wide fame as the next big thing, and he had Olivia; Toby and Eunice were as happy as could be, and Eunice had even gotten her braces off and was looking pretty good; Paul was gaining enough recognition and business that he was planning on opening his own salon wherever the gang (**A/N: That would be Viola, Olivia, Sebastian, Toby, Andrew, Eunice, Kia and Yvonne**) ended up going to college (which looked like North Carolina, as they had all been accepted there on various scholarship opportunities); even Andrew's sad life was looking up since he and Kia had started dating. It seemed everyone's life was looking up, except Viola's.

"Well, I'd be honored to be your back-up, Vi," Paul said, laughing as he bowed.

"Thanks Paul. Listen, I need to get some air." They nodded as she started to weave her way around puffy skirts and desperate debutantes. She drew in a deep breath as she stepped outside, and sat on a bench to wait for the knight in shining armor who would never come.

-

Duke stood in his dorm, dressed in a suit, holding an invitation to a debutante ball. All his friends were there. After finding out about Viola, Ilyria had put together a girl's team, and most of Viola's Cornwall teammates had transferred so they could play. The boys and girls teams worked closely together, even practicing together under the same coach, and most of his teammates had begun dating Viola's teammates, many of whom were also debutantes. He was alone, trying to make a decision that would change his life. He was pretty sure he loved Viola, but she had so deeply betrayed his trust that he couldn't believe he could ever be with her or trust her again. He hadn't talked to her since the Cornwall game, avoiding her at practice and sending his co-captains to meet with her, should the need arise.

With a frustrated sigh, he tucked the invite into his desk drawer and loosened his tie. He couldn't deal with her. He would cut her out after high school. He would find someone else who he loved just as much as he loved Viola, and he would move on in his life. Little did he know that she, like him (and Toby, Andrew, Kia, Yvonne and Justin), had quietly accepted a soccer scholarship at North Carolina. Their story had only just begun.


	2. Chapter 2

Viola, Kia, Yvonne, and Olivia were just moving in to their new apartment at North Carolina. Being on scholarship for soccer, Viola, Kia and Yvonne were assigned to live together at the special scholarship apartment complex. Olivia, being on scholarship and a single, had convinced the housing department to put her in their room. It was nicer than anything they could have imagined. It was a four bedroom suite, complete with two full bathrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and laundry. **(A/N: I don't know if this is how it is at north Carolina, but this is what I will be living in next year during my freshman year at college, so this is what they get.)** They would be living it up this year, that was for sure.

The others were getting settled in Chapel Hill as well. Sebastian had purchased a loft on campus, and had made it perfectly clear that it was open to all of them at any time; Paul had bought the space for his salon and was well on the way to getting it up and running; Eunice was staying at the apartment complex right next to theirs and it was understood that most of her time would be spent in their room; Toby and Andrew were also living in this building, although they were across the building and on a different floor. They hadn't found out who their other two roommates were, only that they were also freshman soccer players.

"So, what now?" Kia asked, looking around at their sparkling room. It was barely noon, but teamwork had allowed them to finish unpacking and organizing very fast. They all pondered this for a few moments.

"How about we call the boys and Eunice and meet up for lunch? Maybe afterwards we can explore the town a bit," Olivia suggested. They all vigorously agreed, and whipped out their phones to arrange everything before setting out to the lobby to meet Toby and Andrew and get on their way.

-

Duke pushed open the door to his room and whistled quietly. This place was nice. He stepped in further and looked around. There were boxes and other things spilling out of the two rooms to his left. Two of his roomies had already begun moving in, but they were nowhere to be found. Duke shrugged and began moving his stuff into one of the open rooms.

He had been at for close to 45 minutes when a heard a click at the door. It looked like his final roommate was here. He stepped around his stuff and out of his room to get a good look.

"Fuck!" Duke glared at the boy, who seemed just as thrilled to see him. "What the hell are you doing here, Drayton?"

It was just his luck to end up with Justin here. This also meant that they would be teammates. Duke hadn't spoken to Justin since the Cornwall game, also the last time he spoke to Viola. Next thing he knew, the whole crew would be here. **(A/N: He doesn't know. This is sarcasm.)**

"Same damn thing you are," Justin replied harshly. He looked around their room. "Man, this place is nice. How did we get this lucky? Who are the other two?" he asked, pointing at the mess of boxes spilling down the left hallway.

"Dunno. They were gone before I got here," Duke responded. Justin seemed like he was trying to be civil. He might as well return the offer. "But they'll be back soon. They aren't even close to being done. Your room's down here, man."

Justin nodded and began his unpacking. Both of them began thinking about the situation. This was college. New beginnings. They could make it work. Right?

-

"What have you been doing all morning that you aren't unpacked yet!?" Viola exclaimed. "We have twice as much stuff and we are completely done!"

They were walking down the streets, window shopping and chatting excitedly about all the stuff they were going to do this year.

"Well, we tried, but everything is so messy! It got a little out of hand," Andrew replied defensively. Toby nodded un agreement while the rest of them laughed.

"Well, it's already two. Let's go. We'll help you get organized. And maybe your roommates have moved in!" Yvonne said, taking longer, more purposeful strides towards their apartment complex.

"I got to get back to finish my own unpacking," Sebastian said, grabbing Olivia for a kiss.

"And I'm interviewing some stylists at 2:45," Paul said.

"Ok, bye!" The gang waved goodbye as they began heading in the other direction. "Now let's go!" They began walking towards their dorm.

-

Duke was just finishing unpacking and had begun breaking down his boxes and organizing his desk what he heard loud laughter coming down the hall. It seemed vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place it. It stopped outside his door and he heard someone fumbling with a key. He walked out into the living room.

"Drayton, I think we're about to meet our roomies," he called. Justin emerged from his room and sat down on the couch, flipping on the TV. The door swung open.

"Fuck."


	3. Chapter 3

**So I know I haven't updated in a while, but it's been super busy lately, as per usual. Anyways, I don't own any of the characters in **_**She's the Man**_**, nor do I own any actors. If you like, please review. Enjoy!**

**-**

'This is not happening.' This was the thought everyone was having, but none as much as Duke and Viola. Even as the others began to recover, they could do nothing more than stare.

(In Viola's head) 'What the fuck!? My life is over. Oh, and Justin too. Fabulous. My ex-boyfriend and my…well, Duke are rooming with two of my best friends…and they're all playing soccer…like me,' she thought. But soon, her thoughts took on a different flavor. 'He looks…good.'

Her eyes carefully traced his chiseled face. She was careful not to make it obvious that she was checking him out. His shoulders pulled lightly at the thin fabric of his shirt, and Viola got the sudden urge to want to rip it off and trace the hardened muscles on his chest and back. She quickly repressed the urge in disgust. She noted, however, that his eyes didn't hold the playful sparkle, the innocent, loving glow they had held before. All of a sudden, she felt unbearably sad. She had taken this from him. She had stolen his happiness, and hidden it, locked it away in the same dark place she had locked her own away when he hadn't come that day.

(In Duke's head) 'Fuck my life. I thought I was gonna be free of all of this now that I'm in college, but…' he thought angrily. At least, he tried to be angry. But the moment he looked into her eyes. He felt his resolve weakening. 'She looks good. More beautiful than I remember…but it has been a while.'

He was less careful about going unnoticed, but viola didn't notice. Duke slowly examined her. He didn't know what he was looking for, but he wasn't happy with what he saw. Her eyes didn't hold the same sparkle and she looked so sad. But that was probably because he was here. He swallowed hard. He was putting her in pain. He pushed this out of his mind and went back to inspecting her. She was trying, that much was obvious; she looked even more beautiful than he remembered. But he knew her and she was so unhappy. He had done this to her. Duke was disgusted with himself.

Finally, the two began to regain their bearings. They realized that everyone in the room, Justin included, was watching them anxiously, eyes flicking quickly back and forth between Viola and Duke. Everyone was wondering who would make the first move.

Finally, viola decided something had to be done.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked, trying to sound casual and keep the shake out of her voice. "I didn't know you were going here."

"And I didn't know you were going here, either," Duke responded. He had forgotten how beautiful her voice was. He had forgotten how beautiful _she_ was.

Viola felt her knees shake a bit when he spoke. Duke's voice still made her melt. "Duke, can I speak to you privately for a moment?"

Duke raised his eyebrows but nodded tersely. Olivia, Kia and Yvonne looked like they might protest, but Eunice, Toby, and Andrew shook their heads. Duke led Viola into his room and shut the door.

"Do you want them to hear this conversation?" he asked quietly. She shook her head. He nodded back and turned on his iPod. They both knew the whole gang would be trying to listen at the door. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

"This. Us," she responded softly. She sighed and sat down on his bed. "We cannot continue this. We're in college. This has to stop."

Duke took a seat next to her. "I agree. I've decided to make a fresh start here. I mean, I am rooming with Justin. But what are we going to do?"

They sat in silence for several minutes.

"How do you feel about me?" Viola asked. Duke's head shot up and he turned to her in shock. She wasn't looking at him. She was staring at her hands, which were clasped tightly in her lap. "What are your feelings towards me? Be honest, Duke."

"What do you mean?" he sputtered. She wanted him to share his deepest feelings, the ones he had suppressed for almost a year.

"You know damn well what I mean," she replied. "Mad, sad, hate, indifference…I need to know if we _can_ restart. I need to know what you feel…"

Duke turned away and thought. He couldn't tell her the truth. He couldn't come out and say that he was madly in love with her still, that right now, more than anything, he wanted to grab her and kiss her, to make all the pain he had caused disappear. He wanted to make her love him like he loved her. If he said any of that, she would leave, and he couldn't stand losing her twice.

"I guess I'm still upset that you would betray me like that," he said quietly. "But I can get over that. I understand. When I put myself in your shoes, I would've done the same thing.

"Duke," Viola whispered. "I need to know if you…"

He clenched his jaw and fought back the tears that wanted to spring into his eyes. He knew what she wanted, but he couldn't say the words out loud. All he could do was shake his head no. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. She saw him shake his head. Inside, a part of her heart broke. He didn't want her. He didn't love her. Tears threatened to escape but she held them back and nodded.

"Ok. We'll move on. We can co-exist. We can do it," she said softly, trying to convince herself just as she was trying to convince him. He nodded slowly and stared at his clenched hands.

"Is that all?" he asked gruffly. She stared at his tense figure, torn. She wanted to stick with what she had just told him, she really did, but the part of her that loved Duke more than anything was fighting to reach out to him and tell him that she was lying and that she wanted him so bad. She lifted her hand as if to stroke his cheek, but let it fall limply in her lap.

"Yes." Viola waited a moment, waited for him to make a move of some kind, some action that would tell her something, but nothing came. Wounded, she stood and walked towards the door. Duke made no move to follow her. With one final look at his motionless body, she opened the door and exited quietly. Closing it softly behind her, she took a deep breath and stepped into the living room. Everyone's eyes shot towards her. She tried to smile, but it felt awkward and twisted. Immediately, Yvonne, Olivia and Kia stood and went to stand by her side.

"We're going home," Olivia said gently. They all nodded. Eunice had decided to stay and help the boys get moved in; she was also going to try and get as much information as she could about the situation. "See you guys later."

-

As soon as they got back to their room, Viola had locked herself in her room. She turned on her radio and laid on her bed, thinking. Soon, all her repressed feelings for Duke surfaced and tears were streaming down her face. She had been rejected before, and it hurt like hell, but this was as if someone had ripped her heart out and left her gasping for air. The pain was almost unbearable, and she curled up in a ball and just let it all go. She cried until there were no more tears. Sad and tired, she picked up her phone and dialed.

"Hello, Jake? It's Viola. Can you talk? I have a problem?

Meanwhile, Olivia, Yvonne and Kia were sitting uneasily in their living room.

"Honestly, I was so close to kicking Duke's ass!" Yvonne exclaimed quietly. "The nerve of him!"

"How was he supposed to know? Vi didn't let the news spread very far beyond her closest friends and family," Olivia stated quietly. "Besides, Duke's wanted to go here for a while. What was he going to do, pick a different college because the love of his life is going here?"

"Love of his life?" Kia asked. "If she was the love of his life, he wouldn't have done what he did. She cried for a week after he didn't show up that night. You all saw her at school. It was as if someone had ripped her heart out."

"I know it doesn't seem like it, but Duke is hurting just as bad as she is," Olivia tried to explain. Kia and Yvonne stared at her in disbelief. "I'm not saying what he did was right, but you don't know him like I do. He's not like other guys. He's really sensitive and shy. He told her so many things in confidence, guy to guy, and when it turned out she wasn't a guy…that hurt him really bad. This is just as hard on him as it is on her. I talked to Sebastian about it. Duke still has a number of Viola's things, little trinkets that she left in their room. He keeps them in a box in his desk and he looks at pictures he has of her and them late at night, when he thinks Sebastian is asleep. He has nightmares about abandoning her. He says her name all the time in his sleep."

"We have to do something. Those two are so damn stubborn. We've got to intervene," Kia said.

"I think we need to let them do it on their own," Yvonne said. Olivia nodded in agreement. "If we push them too much, they'll turn against us too. The best thing we can do is be there for Vi when she needs us and when she's ready to talk and work it out, we do all we can to help her."

"I still say we give them small nudges," Kia said lowly. "Nothing big, just…make them hang out a bunch or something. In a group, of course. I just want them together. They would make such a cute couple!"

"Yea, and Vi hasn't been the same since the ball. She's been so…empty," Yvonne said. "She's goten better, but that first month was rough. And I feel like she's going to relapse into her depression for a bit after this whole thing."

They all nodded and sunk back into their own thoughts, trying to figure out what had happened and what to do.

-

Duke stared at his ceiling. He was shocked to find his cheeks wet. He hadn't cried since the day he decided to cut Viola out of his life. He thought he was over it, over her, and now, here she was, and he had fallen right back in love.

Duke was reflecting on the day's events and reevaluating his feelings when there was a knock on his door. Puzzled, he went to open it. To his surprise, Eunice was standing there.

"Can I come in?" she asked quietly. Still confused, he stepped back and let her in. She took a seat in his desk chair while he laid back down on his bed.

"What do you want?" he asked tiredly. Eunice was about the only witness to today's events what wasn't judging him right now, that he was sure of. Everyone else probably thought he was a horrible person for what he did to Viola. Hell, even _he_ thought he was horrible.

"Are you ok?" she asked softly.

Duke laughed bitterly. It was a hollow sound. "Dandy. I just lied to Viola. I've never lied to Viola, and here I just told her the biggest lie I've ever told in my life. So yea, I'm doing great."

He didn't intend for it to be mean towards Eunice, but she winced anyways. The pain and anguish in his voice was nearly unbearable to her, because even though he had hurt one of her closest friends, he was also her friend and he was in just as much pain.

"Do you want to talk about it? It'll be between you and me. No one else will hear a word of it." Duke pondered this offer. Would he feel better if he got it off his chest to someone? Eunice apparently took his silence as a no. "Well, I'm always here for you if you want to talk." She got up and started to walk towards the door.

"Wait." She stopped and turned to look at him. He was staring intently at the ceiling. "I…told her that…I didn't love her."

Eunice froze. She, and anyone else with eyes, knew that they were so obviously in love with each other, though they never got the chance to actually date. But he had told her he didn't love her. No wonder she looked so upset.

"Why? Don't you love her?" Eunice asked tentatively.

"Of course I love her! She's funny and nice and cute and basically everything I could've wished for. But she said that we couldn't coexist if I loved her. Which means she doesn't love me. So what's the point of telling her the truth and burdening her with that knowledge? I love her too much to do that to her." Duke felt the tears rushing again to his eyes and he clenched his jaw, fighting them back. He was not going to cry in front of Eunice.

Eunice considered this knowledge. She couldn't tell him Viola's side of the story. It wasn't her place. How could she tell him he was crazy without giving it all away? The only thing she could do was go against her promise and tell Olivia, Yvonne and Kia and formulate a plan to get them back together.

"The only thing you can do for her right now is be a friend to her, if she'll let you," Eunice told him softly. "Things will work out for the both of you. They always do."

Duke looked at her oddly. She knew something that she wasn't telling him, but he was too tired to pursue it. Nodding, he turned his eyes back to the ceiling, knowing she wouldn't be offended by this dismissal. She silently took her leave and left him to his own thoughts.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ok, I know it's been FOREVER since I've updated but I have not had enough time to do anything but schoolwork and swimming. So hopefully, this will satisfy for a little while, and hopefully I can update a little more frequently. Anyways, please enjoy. Reviews are always welcome. :)**

As freshman year progressed, Duke and Viola were forced to spend more and more time together. As they ran with the same group and regularly saw each other at practice, there was no avoiding the fact that they would have to spend considerable time together. Gradually, they began to feel more comfortable with each other and even made small talk from time to time. However, the close friendship that they had shared in their Ilyria days wasn't even close to being recreated.

The group of friends had become standout freshman stars on the soccer team. They began to lead their respective teams to near perfect seasons. Duke and Viola had even begun to receive contact from professional scouts, though they both planned to complete college before deciding whether or not to go pro. They had dedicated themselves to being the best. The girls helped the boys with their schoolwork and, in return, the boys taught the girls some new soccer tricks that were sure to put them ahead in the game. They were nearly positive that there were very few, if any, girls that could do the moves they were learning and nailing. While they had come up a bit short at the national championships, they had played their hearts out and were sure to be back with a vengeance next year. They had chosen to stay in the summer, none wanting especially to see their parents.

"Dude, I'm so glad we don't start practice until late July," Andrew said to Duke one day while they were hanging out in their room. The girls had decided to go shopping, so it had become a "guy's day". "I'm gonna be recovering from this season for at least two months."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Duke shot back, flashing a grin. "You slacked off the entire season!"

Toby and Justin laughed while Andrew blushed and chucked a pillow at Duke. The four boys continued joking and talking, trying to relax as much as possible. They only had a couple classes each during the summer, so they were pretty much living the easy life at this point.

Duke sat backed and began to muse, not that any of his roommates noticed, as they were too busy staring intently at the TV. There was some football game or something on. How did these guys get girls anyways? Andrew and Kia were getting pretty serious, as were Toby and Eunice. Yvonne had begun to date Keegan, some hockey player from Canada. Hell, even Drayton had managed to get a girlfriend. Chloe, if Duke remembered correctly. Duke had to admit, Justin had definitely gotten his massive ego in check and actually was a pretty cool guy. How come it seemed like everyone's life was doing well except for his?

Sure, he had managed to help lead the team closer to the national championship than they had gotten in a few years. Sure, his GPA was the highest on the team thanks to the girls and his tutor. He had everything most people could ever want. But there was just one thing that he didn't have that he wanted more than anything: Viola. He would give up everything in an instant if it meant getting her back once and for all. She was always in the back of his mind, no matter what he did.

"Duke!"

Duke looked up in surprise. Justin, Toby, and Andrew were all staring at him expectantly.

"What? Did you guys say something?" Duke asked slowly. They all shook their heads sadly.

"Yea, I asked what you wanted to do for lunch. I'm starving and we have no food here," Justin said slowly, looking at Duke with a mixture of worry, laughter and disgust on his face, which Duke could tell you, is an unusual combination. "But clearly you have 'other things' on your mind."

"Whatever dude. Think what you like," Duke said nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't care what we do. Hey, maybe we can call the girls and Paul and Sebastian and meet up. We haven't hung out with the whole gang in a while."

This idea was immediately accepted and Toby and Justin got on their phones to set up the plans. Andrew, however, was looking curiously at Duke. Everyone thought that Andrew was just a dopy, simple-minded fellow, but he actually was very in touch with the emotions of those around him. It was a creepy, psychic sort of thing, and it made their lives hell sometimes but Andrew always had the best intentions at heart.

"The girls are in!" Toby announced. "They're gonna put in calls to Paul, Sebastian, and Keegan. We're meeting in an hour at Crook's Corner."

"Chloe's in, too," Justin said, coming back from his room. "Now, I need to jump in the shower. Cuz I'm pretty sure I reek!"

"Aw man, me too!" Toby piped up. The two boys quickly went to take their showers, leaving Duke and Andrew to themselves. Duke knew what was coming and he braced himself for Andrew's questions.

"Yo, Duke, man. Are you ok? Like seriously, man. You haven't been the same since we got here," Andrew asked quietly. Duke sat back and stared at the ceiling, contemplating a logical answer to the question. Was he ok? Moreover, should he tell Andrew whether or not he was ok?

"No man, I don't think I am." Duke continued to stare at the ceiling. It almost felt good to tell someone that. Almost. "I feel like there's just something missing in my life, something that everyone but me has. I just can't place it."

The last bit was a lie, and Duke had the feeling that they both knew it. Duke knew exactly what he was missing; more specifically who he was missing. He just didn't know what to do about the whole situation.

"Dude, you know what you're missing. And I know you know how to fix the whole damn thing. You're just stubborn as hell," Andrew said, barely holding back an incredulous chuckle. This whole situation was getting a little out of hand. Someone was going to need to do something because Duke and Viola were two of the most stubborn people in the world. They would never work it out on their own. Either someone was going to need to set something up or something drastic was going to have to happen. "You need to grow a pair and talk to her, Duke. Seriously, this is all getting a bit ridiculous. You are missing out on the college experience because you're stressing about some girl."

"She isn't some girl!" Duke said hotly, tearing his eyes away from the ceiling. Andrew was baiting him, and Duke hated that it was working. "I mean, you know Viola. How could you talk about her like that? You know if I tell her, she'll kick your ass."

"But you aren't going to tell her, because that would not only mean talking to her, which you hate to do unless absolutely necessary, but also because that would mean admitting that what I said got to you, which you would never admit, especially not to her." Andrew sat back, clearly proud of himself.

Duke smiled. "You've gotten better at that, Andrew. You really know what to say to get to a guy, don't you?"

"Hey, I'm just looking out for you," Andrew said softly. Duke nodded.

"Am I interrupting a moment or something here?" Justin said, exiting the bathroom. "Does Kia know that you bat for both teams, Andrew?"

"Shut up, man! You know you're talking bullshit," Andrew said, tossing a pillow in Justin's direction. Duke laughed as Justin easily knocked it away.

"Ok, girls, we better wrap it up! We're meeting the gang at Crook's Corner in 45!" Eunice announced to the dressing room. There were multiple squeals of delight. Finals week had just ended so there had not been much time to just hang out with each other without boring books or study guides. The only person who wasn't very happy was Viola. She tried to avoid seeing Duke when possible, because every time she saw him, her heart hurt. Seeing him just reopened the wound in her heart. It wasn't even her fault that this was all happening, but it felt like she was suffering the most. It was his dumbass decision that caused all this trouble and she was the one in massive emotional pain from it. She was, however, the only one that didn't see how badly it affected Duke as well. When the two of them weren't there, their friends often talked about how they could fix this problem, as it was really starting to annoy them. The most common diagnosis was that they were both so absorbed in their own pain and heartbreak that they couldn't see how much they needed each other.

"Did they say if Chloe was coming?" Olivia asked from one of the dressing rooms. Olivia, being the only one not completely obsessed with soccer (Eunice loved it, mostly because of Toby), had taken a liking to Justin's non-soccer playing girlfriend.

"Yep! And we're under orders to call Paul and Sebastian as well," Eunice mentioned. They immediately heard buttons being pressed on cell phones and Olivia and Viola's voices echoed around them, informing the two boys of their plans. The girls hung up only after receiving confirmation that both would be there.

"Ok, I'm done. Are you guys ready to go? We need to make our purchases and I think we should walk," Yvonne said. Yvonne had started "going green" as of late. Everyone rolled their eyes, but agreed anyways. It wasn't that bad of a walk, and they didn't have that many bags to carry.

"I think we're all good. Let's move out, ladies!" Kia said, pointing towards the front of the store as if leading them into battle. They all laughed as they followed. Viola smiled lightly and started to follow, but hung back a bit. It was hard for her to maintain a lighthearted attitude when she was going to lunch with the love of her life, who she was not technically speaking to, and all of her closest friends who probably knew that she loved him.

"Viola, are you ok?" Eunice muttered, dropping back to stand next to Viola in the checkout line. Eunice was like the mom of the group. She was always looking out for the other girls.

"Yea, I'm fine. You know I just don't like to see Duke that much," Viola replied. She was much more open about her dislike for seeing him. "But as long as I don't have to sit next to him or anything, I'll be fine. There are enough of us for me not to worry about being left alone with him."

"You know, you're going to have to get over this eventually," Eunice murmured. "You two are just so stubborn. One of these days, I'm going to have to do something drastic and then you're going to hate me for it."

Viola laughed. Eunice threatened her with that almost every day, but so far, she hadn't followed through. "Eunice, you know you would never do anything to mess with my life."

"Maybe that's just what I want you to think. Ever thought about that?" Eunice shot back, nudging Viola a bit. The two girls laughed and went to ring their purchases up.

The girls arrived before their male counterparts, which wasn't much of a surprise, and they were quickly seated in their favorite giant booth in the back of the café. Not much later, the guys arrived and took seats next to their beaus. It was simply an unspoken rule between most of them that Duke and Viola were to be as far apart as they could be, and today was no different. Viola managed to snag a spot on the end, which was her favorite, as she didn't have to force everyone to get up if she needed to use the restroom.

They all started chattering, and soon their table was producing a dull roar. There were several conversations going on, and as usual Viola and Duke were more content to be passive participators in the conversations. They laughed at Andrew's lame jokes, chuckled at Kia's order of onion and grape pizza, and voiced joking protests of various displays of affection between the couples.

Their pizzas had just arrived when Viola's phone began to buzz. She looked at the caller I.D., then looked again before smiling slightly and scooting out of the booth. She held up her finger as the others began to voice their confusion.

"Hold on guys, this'll just take a minute," Viola said before walking out to the front of the building. Her friends watched her pace casually in front of the café, laughing and talking to the mysterious someone on the phone.

"Anyone know who that is on the phone with Vi?" Olivia asked after a few moments. Everyone shook their heads or murmured soft no's. Everyone continued watching, trying to look inconspicuous while keeping their eyes on Viola through the window. Andrew was especially enthralled, his eyes flicking between Viola and Duke whilst he stuffed his face with pepperoni and cheese. Duke, on the other hand, was clenching and unclenching his jaw and staring intensely through the window. It was clear to everyone what was on his mind. They all continued to munch on their pizzas and make casual small talk, all while keeping an eye on Viola.

Finally, Viola hung up the phone and turned to come back inside. The group hurried to look as if they hadn't been watching her intently. She plopped down and grabbed her slice of pizza, happily taking a large bite.

"So, what'd I miss?" she asked, sounding significantly happier than she had when she'd left.

"Nothing. We were just talking about what we were going to do for Duke's birthday, actually. You know it's coming up in a few weeks," Olivia said. The whole table began talking earnestly about this upcoming event while Duke acquired a faint blush and became intently focused on his pizza. The conversation picked up where it had left off, but all of the girls were sneaking glances at Viola, anxious to go home so that they could interrogate her about her mystery phone buddy.

At last, the lunch date was over and the sexes headed their separate ways, with the girls heading home and the guys heading to do their separate errands. As soon as the girls set foot through the door, they all rounded on Viola.

"Ok, spill. Who was that?"


	5. Chapter 5

_ "Hold on guys, this'll just take a minute," Viola said before walking out to the front of the building. Her friends watched her pace casually in front of the café, laughing and talking to the mysterious someone on the phone._

_"Anyone know who that is on the phone with Vi?" Olivia asked after a few moments. Everyone shook their heads or murmured soft no's. Everyone continued watching, trying to look inconspicuous while keeping their eyes on Viola through the window._

…

_"Ok, spill. Who was that?"_

"What? Can't a girl talk to an old friend on the phone without getting the wrath of her other friends?" Viola joked, dropping her shopping bags on the floor in front of her room. The other's simply glared at her. "Fine. It was my friend Jake. He was…is a patient at the hospital I used to volunteer at in high school. We became really close because I visited him to talk about soccer almost every day."

"Is he like, your boyfriend or something?" Olivia blurted. Viola stared at her for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"God, no! Jake is like a brother to me. He's the excessively protective, always there brother that Seb couldn't be. Not that Sebastian isn't a great brother," Viola added hastily. She loved her twin very much. He just wasn't always there to be as supportive as she would have liked because he was always off pursuing his music, which was perfectly ok. "He and I just have so much more in common than Sebastian and I do and it was nice to talk about those things with someone who actually got it."

"So, wait. How did you meet him again?" Olivia asked, curious as to how Viola had come to be so close to someone that none of them knew.

"Well, I used to volunteer at the hospital back home. I would go and visit with different patients, children or the elderly or whoever looked lonely that day. One day, there weren't many patients for me to visit in my usual wing, so one of the nurses told me that there was a young man in a different wing whose parents were away for the weekend and that he was a soccer nut, so maybe I would like to talk to him. So I went up to see him and ended up talking to him for four hours. After that, I visited him every day I was there, even if it was only for a few minutes. We eventually became really close. I've met his parents, and I've even spent a few holidays with his family, when his health permitted it."

"How sick is he?" Kia asked quietly, already knowing that the answer was going to be grim.

"He has a rare form of lymphoma," Viola stated calmly. "And the treatment is very intense and very uncertain. One day he could be on an upswing and the next, he could wind up in critical condition."

The girls crowded around to hug and comfort their friend, aware of the mask she was putting up. She gladly accepted their comfort.

"It's hard watching him struggle through that, but he really is an amazing person. He has accepted that his life is the way it is and has chosen to make the most out of however much time he has left with us, whether it's a few months or many years. He lives his life day by day, and that's one of the things I admire most about him."

"Well, he sounds like a wonderful person, and you are now obligated to introduce all of us to him," Olivia said decidedly. They all laughed and fell back into a more comfortable situation. New clothes were put away and food was gathered and conversation eventually, almost inevitably, turned to Duke.

"We should totally throw Duke a killer party for his birthday," Kia stated, popping a potato chip into her mouth. "I mean, this is the first time that we've gotten to celebrate anyone's birthday as a normal group of friends. I say we go all out. Naturally, we'd have to do everything, but it'll be totally fun."

Viola groaned inwardly and sunk back a little into the couch while the other girls began to gush about this idea and how "amazing" it was going to be. Her reluctance to participate was noted by the others.

"Viola, what do you think?" Yvonne asked suddenly. Viola's head shot up.

"What? Oh, um, that sounds great. Yea, really cool," she murmured, knowing she sounded like she hadn't been listening, which she hadn't. The girls gave her a knowing look and a faint blush spread across her cheeks. "What? Give me a break, ok?"

"Vi, you know you can talk to us right?" Olivia said softly. "We know it's been rough on you having Duke here. Don't think we haven't noticed. Just know that we're here for you and you can talk to us about anything."

"Guys, I'm fine!" Viola exclaimed. It was a lie, she knew it, but maybe if she kept saying it, it would become true. "I mean, yeah, it's awkward, but I'm so over it. I'm dealing with it just fine. I promise."

The others nodded skeptically, but it was clear Viola was done talking about it, so they let it go. Soon after, Viola left, citing a meeting for a project as her reason. As soon as she left, she became the topic of conversation.

"Ok, this shit needs to stop," Eunice exclaimed. "I'm sick of them moping whenever we get together, and then shutting down after seeing each other. They need to make up already and get back together. It's gonna happen eventually, but I'd prefer it happened as soon as possible because this is getting annoying."

They all nodded in agreement.

"We gotta get the boys in on this and plan something to force them to deal with what happened last year, since they are both too scared to confront one another themselves," Kia said. Already, the wheels were turning in all their minds. "Plus, we're going on that road trip in a month and I don't think I could deal with depressed Duke and Viola for two whole weeks."

"So it's settled then. Duke and Viola are about to kiss and make up," Eunice said slowly. As the girls began to brainstorm plans of action, it became clear that something drastic was going to have to happen. And Viola probably wasn't going to appreciate it.


	6. Chapter 6

**So I know it's been like 5 months since I've updated this story, but the time for writing and posting has just not been there due to my training. However, I am on my break for the next two weeks or so, and I will try my best to get some writing done in that time. Hopefully, you aren't all too disappointed in this teeny addition, but I will do my best to provide more updates soon. Once again, sorry for the wait.**

Toby answered the door to their apartment, confused as to who could possibly by knocking at such an unusual hour. And by unusual hour, he meant 10:30 am on a Saturday. Opening the door, he was slightly startled to find Kia, Yvonne, Olivia and Eunice standing there expectantly. Viola was not with them as she had decided to go to her dad's house for the weekend so she could visit Jake.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, startled. They were all dressed perfectly in their team-issued clothing, with their hair and makeup done. "It's so early."

"Babe, it's already almost 11. And don't you remember? We're supposed to be volunteering at that cancer thing at noon. Are none of you seriously up yet?" Eunice said incredulously. The laziness never ceased to amaze her.

"Shit, that's today?" Truthfully, they had all forgotten. Usually, Duke was the one who kept track of their commitments and reminded them that they actually had to do all these things in order to be a part of the team, but he had gone home for the weekend to celebrate his cousin's graduation.

"Yes, that's today. You guys better get ready, we're supposed to be there in like, half an hour," Kia said, already making her way to Andrew's door, a slightly evil grin on her face. Olivia, Eunice and Yvonne just laughed and flopped down on the couch, while Toby went to wake Justin. A moment later, they heard Andrew's surprised yelp and laughed again before Kia joined them.

"He's up," she said matter-of-factly to the group, earning another chuckle. They turned on the TV and flipped through the channels, settling on some Food Network program, and relaxed, waiting for the guys to get ready. Toby joined them, then Justin, and finally Andrew, who looked as though he could fall back asleep at any moment still. They chilled there for a few minutes longer before the girls announced it was time to go.

They had barely left the apartment when Olivia brought up the issue that had been on almost everyone's mind.

"So we've decided that we're getting Duke and Vi back together," she said, shoving her hands in her pockets. It was a nippy spring day. "And we have a plan."

"God, finally!" Justin exclaimed. "I'm sick of him moping around our fucking room all the time. He's so boring! So what's the plan?"

The girls launched into their elaborate, albeit well thought out plan, detailing when and how it was going to go down and who was to be involved in each part of it. The guys nodded along and threw in their thoughts and ideas as they went along. By the time they reached the field house where they were supposed to meet before the walk, they had developed what Andrew was calling a "genius-proof plan." They just let him have that one.

"Ok, so this is going to happen next Friday afternoon. The sooner we get them together, the better. That way, they'll for sure be back to their old selves by the road trip. Everyone knows what they need to get?" Olivia asked. They all nodded enthusiastically. "Good. Have it by Wednesday night. We're going to go through everything one last time that night and then we can work out any kinks. It's gonna be awesome!"

With that, they all walked together into the field house, slightly evil grins plastered all over their faces. Duke and Viola had no idea what they were in for.

"Seriously, Kia, what is the big deal?" Viola said into her cell phone. "Yea…no, I got it…Kia! I heard you the first thirty times! I'll be there in…roughly 72 minutes…Kia, I have another class in like, 10 minutes, I can't just skip that…Well, I'm sorry Kia, but can't you just run and get a coffee or something while you wait? I will be home soon and then I will accompany you…I'll be back soon. Bye, Kia."

She hung up the phone and stuffed it back into her bag. That girl was something else. Kia had called her begging her to come home so someone could come with her to pick up some important paperwork or something. She said she had already called Yvonne and Olivia, but neither was reachable, so Kia had called Viola. It didn't seem that urgent to her, but Kia had been insistent that someone had to come help her. Viola shook her head and kept walking.

(Elsewhere) Kia hung up her cell phone and nodded to the others.

"It's on." That was all they needed to leap into action. Everyone scrambled around, making sure everything was perfect for what they were trying to do. Now, all they had to do was wait.

"Kia, are you sure you know where you're going?" Viola asked for what seemed like the thirtieth time. They had left campus and were in a part of town Viola was not familiar with. It wasn't sketchy or anything but she was growing slightly suspicious.

"Yea, Vi, calm down. We're like, two minutes away." Little did Viola know that she was in for the surprise of her life. After a couple more minutes of driving, Kia pulled into the parking lot of a large apartment complex. "Here we are!"

Viola looked skeptically up at the building. This definitely was not what she expected. They got out of the car and made their way into the building. Viola glanced around the lobby. This was actually quite a nice place. She relaxed a little.

"What are we doing here again?"

"I need to pick something up from my friends, Josh and Kelli, remember?" Kia said vaguely, pulling Viola towards the elevator. She punched the up button hurriedly and watched the lights blink as the elevator made its' way down to the lobby. It opened to reveal an operator.

"What floor, miss?"

"Penthouse, please." Viola's eyes widened and she stared at her friend, who carefully avoided eye contact with her. This unusual request, however, did not faze the man, a small sign that went unnoticed by Viola. Within moments, the elevator dinged and the doors opened to reveal a beautiful landing. The two girls stepped off and almost immediately, the doors closed behind them and, Viola noted, their only escape was gone.

Kia strode confidently into the next room, forcing Viola to rush after her. In her hast, she failed to notice the other people waiting for her until two of them grabbed her. Her eyes widened in fear and she braced herself for a fight, opening her mouth to scream.

Someone clamped their hand down over her lips. "Vi, don't fight, don't scream, it's us."

She looked around frantically, registering all familiar faces. However, Justin and Andrew did not release her as they moved her through the apartments towards a closed door at the end of a hallway. Her mind was racing as she tried to comprehend what was going on.

"You'll thank us for this…eventually," was the last thing she heard someone – Paul – say before she was thrust into the room. She whipped around to grab for the door handle, but she was too late and the lock clicked before she could open the door. She shook the handle a few times in frustration before letting go.

"Well, this explains a lot," a deep voice said. Viola froze, her hand entangled in her hair. She slowly turned around to face her apparent cellmate.

"You."


End file.
